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Party Favor

August 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Glen Boyle

An Extraordinary Party Favor More and more people are into giving personalized presents these days because they feel that these are more meaningful especially if these are meant to people that matter to them. If you are throwing a party and you’re thinking of an extraordinary party favor to give out, then try making a quilt. One of the most sought-after handmade presents these days are special items such as quilts because of its uniqueness. In fact, quilts have been converted into so many things and in most art stores and galleries, more and more items are being inspired from quilts. One of the most popular quilt designs out there that are being given as part favors are the t-shirt quilts. In fact, this has become a trend not only to artists but also to people who would want to give something unique and beautiful. Aside from being its unique concept, t-shirt quilts also became a popular gift when it is turned into a memory t-shirt quilt. Many people are fond of giving memory t-shirt quilts because these exude personal touch and sincerity. Since it contains personal items such as pieces of cloth and fabric that have sentimental value, t-shirt quilts have become a very touching gift to be given and received. Making one If you want your part favor to be more personal, it is best if you make it with your own hands. Making a t-shirt is easy as long as you have materials that you need. These include a set of pins, a set of rotary cutters, a box full of sewing needles that come in different sizes, different-colored threads, special quilting needles, extra fabric that will be used for backing, a pair of scissors, different types of fabrics and shirts, cardboard, batting, rulers, a sewing machine, irons, and a quilt frame. Here are step by step directions that you can follow: – Know the size of the t-shirt quilt you want to make. This can be determined by how many t-shirts you would want to include in the quilt.- Collect the t-shirts to be used and clean them. Once you have collected the shirts you want to include in the quilt, segregate them according to size, color, and design. – Place the t-shirts according to size and design. By doing this, you can establish order and create a final design for the t-shirt quilt. – Draft a square template using the cardboard and make an initial layout. This template will be used as a pattern on how the t-shirt should be cut. – Finalize it. Using ties, quilt hoop or quilt frame, you can now make the final steps in the t-shirt quilt before giving it away. If you are making a t-shirt quilt as a party favor, bear in mind that you should always plan the design ahead before you begin. This is to ensure that no material or fabric will go to waste and always consider the preferences of the guests that will be attending. If you don’t have time to know all their preferences, opt for the more basics designs, colors, and styles. Cheap Party Favors Handmade items are among the most popular choices for people who want to give out party favors these days. This is because these items reflect more effort and sincerity from the organizer like you. But, handmade items don’t necessarily mean that they are cheap. In fact, there are many handmade items that are more expensive than the regular ones. In this time of crisis, one of the things that people on a tight budget should learn is maximizing their resources. For those who have knowledge on baking, one of the good party favors for them to bake a cake, cookies, or bread for them. This is quite practical because you need not spend time and money in finding the item after the party. To make your handmade party favor more presentable, you can place it in a personally-crafted colorful box or wrap it in a nice cookie jar. If you have talent in cooking, you can the cook dish or create your very own specialty dish or dessert for and give it out as a party favor. This is also quite practical because it can add up to the food that you have prepared for the party. If you are into crafts, one of the party favor ideas is personally-crafted items. Handmade items such personalized cards; a painting, a portrait, a sculpture, or even a hand-sewn piece of clothing can be a party favor. Those who are inclined to photography can give out printed photo of the celebrant and place it in a nice picture frame. This would definitely one of the gifts the celebrator would not forget because she or he can display it. Those who are literary inclined can write a simple poem or short story about the celebrant and print it in a nice paper to be read during the party. Maximizing your resourcesIf you don’t have the knack for any of the mentioned above, don’t despair because there are still lots of good party favor ideas out there. What you can do is organize your budget and scout various bazaars and stores on sale inside the malls to find a good yet cheap party favors. The following are some good party favor ideas available for you when you search malls and stores: 1. A set of unique decors and ornaments. This may include a set of angels, figurines, and other items that are nice to display but not so expensive. If you have decided to give this, make sure that you choose something that the recipient likes such as his or her favorite cartoon character or something that can add up to his or her collection, if any. 2. A food basket. This should contain all the favorite food of the attendees. If they are figure conscious, wrap up a wide selection of fruits and veggies as a party favor. If the attendees are into healthy foods, try to wrap up items that are healthy or if they are into wines, wrap up at least two to three bottles of cheap wine that comes with small crystal glasses. 3. A box or basket of sweet treats. This is the perfect party favor for those that have “sweet tooth”. One great party favor idea for attendees is a box or small basket of sweet treats including candies, tarts, and different kinds of chocolates. http://tips.zobyhost.com/

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The Quilters Guild Of Today Have Unique And Wonderful Skills

August 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Mike Selvon

The art of quilting has been around for a long time. While first used for functionality only, it quickly became a form of art. For this purpose, and to get quilt patterns finished quickly, the quilters guild was formed so that large groups of people could work on a quilt together. These guilds were often called quilting bees. This made it possible to finish many quilts in a timely manner, while having fun at the same time.

The Crusaders were the first people to use quilted fabrics on a regular basis. They used the quilt fabric under the armor of knights, so that they were protected from the metal. Its fabrics were tougher and stronger than other fabrics, which made them idea for this task. There is some evidence to suggest that the Egyptians also used quilts.

The quilters guild was probably formed at the time of the Crusaders as well, to produce large quantities of armor padding. The original ones were probably men, but when the ladies took over they turned it into something much more beautiful than mere under padding.

By the 1700 and 1800s, such skills were used as kind of a summery of how proficient a girl was at sewing. Early quilts were made from one piece of cloth but the patchwork quilt was invented due to the frugality of some ladies of the day, as they discovered a clever use for scraps of fabric.

The quilters guild of today is a fun way to get together with other like-minded people, and the older, more experienced members coach the newer members on things such as quilt patterns, quilt sets, how to machine quilt, handmade quilts, patchwork quilts, and different techniques to make quilting easier. Many quilting guilds will also have fundraising shows, where the quilters sell their quilts and raise money for activities that the guild members might want to do. Some guilds are so large that they are a national or even international organization.

Some quilting guilds offer books in which they publish the quilting tips that their members have found to be the most helpful. Some quilting guilds charge membership fees, while others allow people to join for free.

If you are not lucky enough to be in an area that has a quilting guild, then you might want to look into purchasing some books on quilting that would be able to further you in your quilting journey. Of course, many quilting shops also give lessons on a periodic basis, so taking a few of those would probably help as well.

Quilting professionals have unique and wonderful skills. They create the beautiful quilts that everyone loves to see and feel. If you are a new quilter, and wish to learn more about it, then joining a quilters guild might be the right thing to do. If there is no guild around, then maybe you could just take some classes on quilting. This can help your skills increase rapidly and easily.

Want to improve your quilting skills? All is revealed about the quilters guild at Mike Selvon portal. Don’t forget to leave us a comment at our quilting notions blog.










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Tips Of Decorating With Arts and Crafts

August 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Bheki Mathe

Homemade gifts and decorations are the best kind and those made in the moment as part of a Christmas day crafts project are the most enjoyable of all. Thanksgiving decorations and crafts tailored to the holiday season seems a dime a dozen but one way a party preparer can grasp the eye of the party partaker still remains in how personal the crafts or decorations become. Arts and crafts stores are a one stop shop where you can get anything and everything related to the varied aspects of arts and crafts.

Wholesale: If the idea of going to craft shows or home parties does not appeal to you, then consider wholesaling your crafts to small boutiques or other types of stores that specialize in the items that you make. You can use food and crafts to help your child experience the letters of the alphabet by seeing the shape and creating the shape in three-dimensions as well as eating food that either starts with the chosen letter or is in the shape of the letter. Wau can appear in all kind of shapes but the three main one are the famous Wau Bulan or moon kite, named for its crescent like tail shape, the Wau Jala Budi or women kite, which takes on the curves of a women, and the Wau Burung Puyuh, the barred busted quail kite.

Lighting in an Arts and Crafts or Mission home is critical especially with all the dark woods and depth of color schemes popular. Modern era has seen the popularization of the traditional crafts and skills which are widely popular among the masses. Children always enjoy the opportunity to use Halloween crafts to stretch their imaginations. The Internet can also be an excellent way to find the country crafts you need. And why cannot crafts for the elderly also include arts for the elderly? Times have changed along with people and crafts for the elderly are much more advanced they are too, as varied in medium and message and skill level as the individuals are. Furnishings in the Arts and Crafts home are wood, occasionally with a wrought iron or ceramic tile accent. During the Christmas holidays, students are often kept engaged in interesting Christmas crafts or gifted a day out. Here are some easy and fun ideas for games and crafts to make your party the best one in the kingdom. Projects that are easy enough to create both fun decorations and useful party items that are entirely created by the child with adult supervision are best. When there are children to entertain try to keep the fun of arts and crafts in the forefront of the activity. Cute wall hangings, little paper dinosaurs, fleece pillows and jewelry boxes are some of the small things that kids learn to make during these arts and crafts sessions.

Mothers Day crafts projects are usually meant for small children to induce the spirit of creativity and to make them understand the relevance of a festival. You will spark you are childs imagination with the wide variety of crafts that are included in this Kindergarten crafts e-book. The best part of 365 Kindergarten Crafts e-book is that it is not your usual book with just a list of possible crafts. With handcrafted items people want something Unique not something they can get at Walmart for half the price. This is the first place that comes to mind for most people when they want to get started selling their handmade items. Take the time to work the numbers and you will be more likely to succeed in business selling your crafts. You will be amazed to look at the variety of crafts that small children can create. Not only is it fun to learn arts and crafts but the freedom to create as one desires helps one to gain a variety of skills beneficial to mental development and advancement at any age. Incredibly popular as always are Halloween party games and not only the youngsters will be around to seek the small prizes and rewards but also the adult Halloween costume party goers are also interested in having fun and show off their skills and abilities. Create fun at your next princess party with these games and crafts. Through these stores you can explore various areas of crafts such as needlecraft, quilting, scrapbooking, woodworking, ceramics, soap making, paper crafts and so on.

Bheki Mathe is the writer for more information visit us at http://www.worldplanetinformation.com/Crafts_Information_online.html










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5 Tips to Pricing Reborn Dolls

August 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Nicola Baume

The cost of making a reborn doll is expensive and for reborn artists to get their money back and be able to go on with their art and make a living from their art they need to follow the next 5 steps.

Prices of reborn dolls have increased as the art is seen as more collectable and some of the better artists are able to make larger profits from their dolls. But for most reborn doll artists the ability to be paid even a fraction of what the doll is worth is a hard.

Here are the 5 main areas that money is spent in making and selling reborn dolls;

1. The doll must be painted, glued, eyes and eyelashes attached, needles, brushes, paints used. A cloth body with weighting materials, poly fill for stuffing, belly plates and beating hearts. There are electrical costs associated with the painting of the doll as most doll are painted with a heat dried paint and an oven is needed in between coats. These costs together come in the vicinity of 0 – 0.

2. The hair of a reborn is usually hand rooted mohair which costs between – an ounce. The needles used are specialized felting needles at – . There is quite a lot of wastage from the routing process so the small amount of hair seen on a reborn dolls head is not nearly the amount gone through to get that effect.

3. The clothes a reborn doll is sold in cost money. The amount of money depends on the quality of the outfit. There are many reborn leaving their artists in handmade outfits that would easily sell for 0 by themselves. Dolls are also sold with pacifiers which need magnets to be adhered on the inside of the doll. Baby blankets and quilts.

4. The marketing of a reborn cost money if the doll is put on an auction site. The auction site takes a cut, the money handler takes a cut and any other service used in the marketing takes payment. There are costs involved with shipping the doll to it’s new owner. Reborn dolls need to be shipped in safe ways and even if the buyer is covering the freighting costs there is still the need for a secure box and packing material.

5. The time a reborn artist usually spends on a doll is approx 40 hours. That is an entire work week on one doll. A reborn doll artist if they were to charge minimum wage for their time would only be earning the same as a kid in McDonalds.

The phrase ‘struggling artist’ suddenly has a whole new meaning when it is spelt out in terms of what a piece of art like a reborn doll actually costs to make. Most reborn dolls are lucky to sell for more than 0 on sites like eBay. That means the reborn artist is not being paid for their time or their expertise.

Next time you price your reborn doll do it with a full redown of the costs of the doll and why the price is set at a certain figure. And if you are the buyer or collector of reborn dolls remember you get what you pay for and that the low cost dolls are not being produced by reborn artists with the faith in themselves to demand a decent amount for their dolls. You will always get what you pay for.

Find the information to selling reborn dolls on the internet without having to suffer from expensive trial and error. Our 12 email mini course will help…www.rebornbabiesforfunandprofit.com










Learn what ingredients you will need to make your own soap in this free video on homemade soap making. Expert: Sheryl Andrews Bio: Sheryl Andrews is an enthusiastic advocate of the home arts. This award-winning quilter and crafter has spent a lifetime exploring the depths of traditional home skills. Filmmaker: Christina Knickerbocker
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Make Handmade Pillows for Kids

July 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Want to make a kid’s pillow to dazzle up their room? What about kid’s games with small pillows, like a bean bag toss? This article will teach to make pillows for kids. This a great project for beginners!

Things you’ll need

Sewing machine

Fabric

Complimentary thread

Step 1

This pattern will allow you to make any size square pillow for kids, as you will need two squares of fabric the size you want, plus 1/2 inch seam allowance on all sides. Next, gather your fabric and any embellishments you may want to use, like lace and rickrack for girls. These pillows are a wonderful way to add a splash of color, without spending allot of money. In addition, this is a perfect place to use your favorite leftover quilt blocks and adjust borders to fit the pillow size you desire. Remember, the embellishments must be age appropriate. For example, I would not use buttons for a small child’s pillow because of a choking hazard.

Step 2

Next you will decide if you want to select your pillow’s filling. And decide whether you will be making a removable cover for easy washing or the ease of changing out pillow colors. If so, purchase a pillow form in the size you desire. However, most decorative pillows are stuffed with polyester fiber filling or chopped foam. For my personal use, I make my own pillow forms, stuff them, and then sew my outside covers. My boys are a little rough and I need double layers so the pillow stuffing doesn’t go everywhere should the pillow fights get out of control!

Step 3

Next, cut your fabrics. Pin along the sides with right sides together. Sew your pillow on three sides (just the two sides if you folded your fabric and your bottom is already finished). I use a 1/2 inch seam allowance. On the fourth side, do not sew all the way closed. Leave enough room to turn your pillow form inside out. Backstitch over the end of your seam so it won’t ravel while you are stuffing.

Turn the liner inside out. Fill with fiberfill and pin the opening closed. Stitch closed, either by hand, or with a sewing machine. Your pillow form is done

Step 4

For the outside of your pillow, it is made just like the liner in Step 3, except you must leave the fourth side completely un-sewn to fit in your pillow form inside. If you are adding embellishments, you need to sew them on before sewing the edges. I like to fold my fabric in half and iron a crease in my fabric so I can see the size of the front of the pillow. Then I lay out then embellishments in the pattern I like and pin them down. I usually hand sew everything down. This is a great project than can be carried with you or done in front of the TV.

Step 5

Now the front of the pillow is decorated. Sew the three sides and clip the corners to reduce the bulk. Turn inside out and insert your pillow form, carefully fluffing into place. Turn in the last seam and pin in place. Hand sew using a blanket stitch or sew with a machine and completely resew the other three seams on the outside to get a uniform look around your pillow. Or as an alternative, you can use Velcro or snaps on the fourth edge to easily remove for washing. However, you will need to finish off the unsewn edges with a whip stitch or stitched with the sewing machine before adding snaps. Voila! You are done!

I hope this requested article has helped you to make pillows for kids.

Have a great day and don’t forget to rate and comment please!

Tips

If you are using a single layer of fabric and then stuffing it, shorten your stitch on your sewing machine so the stuffing can’t work its way through.

If you need to entertain kids, just make small pillows and fill them with beans or rice and have a bean bag toss!

Website Resources

All Free Crafts

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/sewing/pillow.shtml

About.com – Sewing

http://sewing.about.com/od/freeprojects/ss/envelopepillow.htm

Written by MrsCrafty

Learn how to safely mix water and lye as part of the soap making process in this free video on homemade soap making. Expert: Sheryl Andrews Bio: Sheryl Andrews is an enthusiastic advocate of the home arts. This award-winning quilter and crafter has spent a lifetime exploring the depths of traditional home skills. Filmmaker: Christina Knickerbocker
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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The Baby Shower Gift Dilemma – Create a Handmade Quilt

July 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Have you been searching for just the right baby shower gift for your best friend, your sister, or maybe even a colleague from the office? No matter where you have looked, the idea of finding another outfit that the new baby will outgrow in weeks, or another pile of odds-and -ends from diapers to rattles is just not what you had in mind for a useful and meaningful baby shower gift, then this article is for you. Create a handmade baby crib quilt that will amaze the new mother-to-be and all of the guests at the baby shower.

You don’t have to be an expert quilter to make a special handmade baby crib quilt. First, you need to choose the perfect fabric for the baby crib quilt. If you’re unsure of what design you might prefer, either take a trip to your local fabric store, or go on line to the one of the many retail dealers for their collections of ideas and baby crib quilt patterns.

If this is your first attempt at the art of quilting, it is best to keep your pattern simple. Choose colors that are appropriate for the baby’s gender, unless you do not know that, than yellow or white is a safe choice. Be sure you wash and lightly iron all fabrics before you start to cut.

There are many sewing tips that quilting experts would pass on to a novice, who may just be starting out, possibly making their first quilt. Here are some important quilting tips: Sew seams carefully, so that you match each corner and every triangle tip is pointy. You can save time and increase accuracy by chain sewing your pieces together. Your piecing will improve if you take the time to press your quilt blocks as you make them. Pressing is an extra step in the quilt making process , but one that will payoff when your block fit together, nest, just like they should.

Make sure that you are sewing an accurate quarter inch seam allowance for your quilt blocks. If this allowance is not precise, when it is time to sew the blocks together, they will not align properly.

Set your sewing machine to the standard seam allowance used for quilts, which is an exact quarter inch seam. One way to improve a block that is either too large or too small is to use the freezer paper method and square up the block before sewing it together. Gridded freezer paper makes the job easier, but the plain freezer paper will work to help make the block more even.

At this point you are ready to either hand quilt or machine quilt your baby shower gift. Place the backing fabric right side down on the floor or large clean area. Put the batting down next. Place the pieced quilt on top of the batting right side up. Pin the fabrics and batting together starting from the center and working out. I recommend that you stretch all three layers before pinning. Using an old table and some large butterfly clamps, stretch your blanket securely in place to the table before you pin the layers together. Also there are curved quilting pins available at the quilt shops that will make the pinning task easier to complete, due to the shape of the pin. They are rounded at the bottom and perfect for the task.

You can either hand quilt or machine quilt your baby shower gift. Following the perimeter of the shape or you can choose to use a quilter’s pencil and template and draw a design and quilt the design. Either way, you will be stitching through all three layers, which not only fasten the layers together, but create a design, as you quilt.

Your baby shower gift will be complete when the edges are finished and the binding is sewn in place. Of the two types of bindings, crosswise grain and bias, the former is a good choice because there is less risk that a split would damage the entire side of the quilt. Crosswise strips also stretch well enough to curve when needed along the outer edge of the quilt.

Your search and dilemma is now over. You have the perfect shower gift, a handmade baby crib quilt, which is the perfect baby shower gift for that new mother-to-be, created by you.

Take time to quilt.

Don’t have the time to create your own masterpiece, come and choose one of our handmade children’s quilts, a lasting keepsake, a unique birthday gift, or Christening gift, for that special “little one.”
Visit my website: http://www.uniquebabyquiltboutique.com and chose of one unique handmade children’s quilt from my collection for your child’s birthday or other special event.
Sharon Camp has been quilting for over 30 years

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Home Organization Tip – Less Is More

July 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Jill Seader

Getting your home organized can seem like a daunting task. Every room filled with clutter and more things than you know what to do with. So let me share with you a tip I have learned along the way in my home organization journey. Less is more. Now this tip has three different meanings.

Meaning #1Less is more when it comes to tackling your home organization project. What do I mean by this? I mean don’t try to do it all at once. Take it in small, bite-sized pieces. Ten minutes here and there is better than throwing up your hands in defeat and not even bothering to start. Like many things in life, home organization is a journey. And to quote an old saying “every journey begins with a single step.” Decide on a single step that you will do each day or each week and then do it. Consistent, persistent action in the direction of your home organization goals will get you where you want to go.

Meaning #2Less is more when it comes to stuff in your home. Ask yourself how much you really value some of the things that you have in your home. We often collect things that we sometimes don’t even want because someone gave it to us, it was free, or we “inherited” it from somewhere along the way. Now I’m not suggesting that you get rid of grandma’s handmade quilt. However, I am suggesting you really think about how much you like and value having in your life that vase Aunt Ida gave you that you never use because you can’t stand to look at it. Evaluate the stuff you have in your home. If you ever hope to get your home organized, you’re going to have to get rid of some of it. And that will mean making some hard decisions about what stays and what goes. A home organization prioritization system (1, 2, 3 or A, B, C) can help you decide what you want to keep and what you don’t. Important stuff would be A, maybes would be B, and call a charity to come pick it up would be C. Just remember to go back through your B category and make a final call on whether it is an A or a C.

Meaning #3Less is more when it comes to being hard on yourself when you didn’t get done what you wanted to get done. We have a tendency to beat ourselves up when we set a goal and then don’t accomplish it. Stop it. Your home organization journey is just that, a journey. You will have setbacks, things may take longer than you anticipated. Learn the home organization lessons that you need to learn from it and move on. Are you underestimating the amount of time it takes you to do things? Are you getting distracted? Are you too tired when you start? Figure out why you are having setbacks and then re-evaluate your goals. It is okay to change and adjust your home organization goals along the way. Be gentle with yourself.

For more home organization tips, visit Jill Seader’s home organization website at http://www.YourHomeIsOrganized.com. An ebook she offers, 5 Simple Steps For Organizing Every Room In Your Home, will help you shortcut your home organization journey down the quickest path possible.

A Quilt I made representing the sun shining on water. Called Sun & Ocean.
Video Rating: 3 / 5

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